Inflating device



June 24, 1930. P. MARKUS INFLATING lEvIcE File Feb. 25, 1929 nventor PeerMa/Kgg and hence render the device Patented June 24, 1930 PETER MARKUS,v OF KANSAS CITVY, MISSOURI INisLAcrINef4 DEVICE 'l Application led February 25, 1929. Serial No. 342,335.

This invention relates to inf'lating devices for bathing suits, hunting and fishing coats, steamer sport coats, life preservers and the like, and belongs to that class in which the medium held under pressure in a cartridge, is releasedto perform its inflating function, by the puncture of the cartridge, as exemplified in Patent N o. 1,694,714, granted to me on December 11,1928.

I have found after much experimentation over an extended' period, that it is absolutely essential in providing an efficient and dependable device of this character to have a cartridge chamber from which air cannot leak, a condition which itis not always possible to secure with a construction of the type disclosed in my aforesaid patent, be cause if'the threads of the operating screw are initially in air-tight relation with the threads of the cartridge chamber, repeated operations might, in time, develop a leak,

unsafe for sustaining a person for a relatively longperiod. My object therefore is to provide a construction of such character that when the cartridge is punctured and the bathing suit or the likey inflated through the charging thereof by the compressed Huid from the cartridge, it shall be impossible for air to leak from the cartridge. chamber and thus result in the deflation ofthe bathing suit or the like. A further object is to produce 4a device of means for insuring proper manipulation to effect .a quick and almost instantaneous puncturing of the cartridge, and a still further object is to provide adevice of this character of simple, strong, durable and inexpensive construction. l With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter ydescribed and claimed; and inv order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which: l

Figure 1 represents a longitudinaLsection of a cartridge holder embodying the invention applied in operative position, to an article which may represent a bathing suit vIII-III of .Figure 1.

this character provided withy or any other device adapted for inflation for the purpose of sustaining al personin water. y.

Figure 2`is a top plan View of the construction shown by Figure l, with the handle or grip of the appliance for effecting the puncturing of the cartridge, broken away.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line Figure 4 is an inverted end view of the 60 adjusting screw for effecting the puncturing of the cartridge. vReferring to the drawing in detail, 1 indicates a bathing suit or the like,*provided with an internal cylindrical neck portion 2 65 to be secured inany suitable manner to effect a permanent union or air-tight relation with what may betermed the cup member 3 of a cartridge container or holder. Said cup member is preferably cylindrical in form and of reduced diameter at its lower end to provide an internally threaded nipple 4 and a shoulder 5 at the upper end of said nipple. The upper end of the cup member is formed with a circular groove 6, the inner wall of the groove projecting to a higher plane ythan the' outer wall and being externallytlireaded as at 7. The groove is adapted to contain a compressible gasket 8, which may be replaced fromtime to time in order that the gasket may be at all t1mes prepared for engagement with an-air-tight relation by the outer or what may be termed thecap member 9 of thecontainer, this cap member being of cylindrical form by pref- 8 5 erence and when in operative position, screwed tightly down upon the threaded he gasket of the cup member.

portion Zand t The top 10 of the cap member is formed centrally with an opening extending up v through an extension 11 of thel top, the opening being threaded, and said .cap 1s preferably formed with external milled or roughened portions 12 to facilitate the screwing of the cap cup member until it applies sufficient pressure on the gasket to insure that air shall not leak from the interior of the container past said gasket. Y

The cap member is provided with a fiex- 10.0

member down upon the V free end against the dog noted in this connection that the cap is proleap,

ible diaphragm 13 ada ted to constitute a partition, an said diap otherwise united to the wall of the cap member with an air-tight relation so that it shall be impossible for air to pass from a point below the diaphra m to a point above the same. It will thuse seen that the interior of the cartridge chamber below the diaphragm, through the use of the latter and of the gasket 8 inhibits any possibility of air leaking from the cartridge chamber to the atmosphere.

To eiiect the puncturing of the cartridge C which fits snugly in the cartridge chamber below the diaphragm, a screwdplug 14 is in engagement with the threade nipple 4, and the head 15 of said plug rests on said boulder 5 so as to limit the downward adjustment of the plug, the latter having a kerf 16 in its head whereby it is screwed into place before the'cap member is screwed onto the cup memberpof the container.

The plug is provided with a passage 17 to permit compressed air from the cartridge to pass into the inflatable object, and to puncture the lowerend of the cartridge, which 'is not detailed because of conventional type, a sharpened pin 18 is fastened to and projects upward from the plug and engages the puncturable end of the cartridge, the latter at its upper end being. in substantial Vcontact initially with the diaphragm. p To effect downward movement ofthe diahragm and hence of the cartridge, to perorate or puncture the lower end lof the latiter, a screw 19 engages the threaded opening of the top of the cap, andwhen in positlon for operation, is about in contact with the-upper slde ofthe diaphragm, so thatv the advance of the screw shall spring the diavphragrrb downward and; thus impart like movement nto and effect the puncturing of the cartridge.

T o 'avoid unintentional' back revolution or -unscrewing movement of the screw, which is provided with a grip or handle 'piece 20 for its manipulation, said screw is provided with a sleeve portion 21 externally embracing the extension 11 of the top of the and said sleeve is formed externally with ratchet teeth 22 engaged by a dog or detent 23 pivoted at 24 on the top of the cap. This dogor -detent by engagement with the ratchet teeth, obviously guards against back rotation, but in order that back rotation may be readily eiected when desired, the dog or detent has an upwardly projecting pin 25 by which it may be readily swungfrom engagement with the ratchet against the resistance of an actuating spring 26 fastened to the cap and bearin at its or detent, 1t being vided with a'circumferential ange 27 proragm is soldered or- `the handle of the plug backward pressure app jecting upward to about the plane of the top of the dog so as to protect the latter against being accidentally disengaged from the ratchet,

An article such as a bathing suit, hunting coat or other garment provided with yan iniatable device, will afford a great measure of protection to those whose business or inclination results in taking them upon or 1n dangerous waters, and if the wearer of such a protective article is incapable of swimming or perhaps incapacitated from swlmming when falling or thrown into the water, it will be possible in most instances for such person to give the screw 20 a single turn and thus effect the l tridge and the inflation of the bathing suit or other protective article worn. ln some instances a person might, under excitement, attempt toturn the screw the wrong way and thus fail to -eii'ect the puncturing of the cartridge, and

for this reason the pawl and ratchet mechanism is provided to prevent back movement of the screw. vA. person under such excitement and underpsuch conditions, if they could not turn the screw backward would almost unconsciouslylreverse the movement uncturing of the car-` and thus eiiect the puncturing of the cartridge and hence the 'inflation of the protective article, andbecause of the fact atthe air thus supplied Ycannot leak back land escape to the atmosphere, the wearerwould be'su'stained sa article itself was air-tight-#for an indefinite period of time, and in this connection it will benoted that'there is such a frictional "extended threaded relationship' between the cup member 'and the cap member, that a spasmodic backward pressure 'applied on would not be .suiicient to unscrew the. cap member from the cup member, thls being more readilya preciated ety--assumingV that the Y' when it is vunderstood that an. excitableperson struggling in the'water would'be compelled to grip the 4cup member tightly to -aiiord suicient resistance to enable one attempting to turn the vplu backwards to unscrew the` cap member.A fthe cu ber was not gripped and held tight y, any

would simply tend to twist the fabric of the protective garment, as thev latter wouldlafford less resistance to such Vbe oiered by the threaded engagement` between the cup and ca members. It' will therefore be appreciate that a person lstrugglinfg1 in the water and under excitement coul not readily of the cap member from the cup member and meeting resistance in turning'the device as a whole backward, wouldinstinctively reverse such application of force and thusjimpart proper turning movement to to eiect the puncturing of the cartridge.

mem-

effect unscrewing actionI lied on the screw action than would the screw 'v lo: an inflatable body,

. From the above descri tion it will be a parent that I have produced inflating evices embodying the features of advantage set forth as desirable inJ the statement of the object of the invention, and which is susceptible of minor changes within the principle of construction involved and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: u 1. In a device of the character described,

a compressed-Huid cartridge container fitting in the inflatable body with an air-tight relationship and communicating at its inner end with the interior of said body and provided with a puncturing pin, adjustable means mounted on the container, a diaphragm interposed between said adjustable means and the cartrid e and forming an air-tight partition for t e container between the said adjustable means and the cartridge and adapted to transmit power from the adjustable means to the.cartridge to cause the puncturing of the latter by said pin, and means for reverse adjustment of said adjustable means. 2. In a device ofl the character described, an inflatable body, a compressed-fluid cartridge container fitting in the inflatable body with van air-tight relationship and communicating at its inner end with the interior of said body and provided with a puncturing pin, adjustable means mounted on the container, a diaphragm interposed between said adjustable means and the cartrid e and forming an air-tight partition for t e container between the said adjustable means and the cartridge and adapted to transmit power from the adjustable means to the cartridge to cause the puncturing of the latter by said in,a`nd awl and ratchet means for prevent- 111g. acci ental reverse adjustment of saidy adjustable means.

3. Ina device of the character described,v

an inflatable body, a' compressed-fluid cartridge container comprising a cup member pro ecting into the 'body and secured thereto wit an air-tight relationship and communieating ofpsald body and provided with a puncturing device, and a cap member detachably fastened to the outer end of the cup member with an air-tight relationship, and having an opening at its outer end, a diaphragm partitioning the cap member into outer and inner non-communicating' chambers, and

preventing `accidental with an air-tight relationship and communi-l catin at its inner end with the chamber of said"'- ody and provided with a puncturing device; the outer end ofsaid cup member having a circular groove, and a compressible gasket within said groove, and a cap member screwed upon the outer end of the cup member and itting in said groove upon` said l gasket, the cap member 'having av threaded opening at its outer end; a d1aphragm partitioning the cap member lnto lnnerand outer non-communicatin chambers, a screw engaging the threaded opening of the' cap member and adapted, when advanced, to cause the diaphragm to engage a cartridge within the container and press it against said puncturing device until punctured by the latter; the screw being provided externally of the container with a ratchet l wheel, and a spring-actuated pawl mounted on the cap member and engaging the ratchet wheel to prevent accidental back rotatlon ofthe screw. I.

In testimony whereof I aiix my slgnature.

- PETER MARKUS.

at its inner end with the chamber means projecting into the outer chamber of l the cap and adjustable to apply pressure on the' diaphragm to impart movement to the latter and cause the same to pressthe carupon the puncturing device until punctured by the latter.

4. In a device of the character described, an infiatable body, a compressed-fluid cartridge container comprisin apcup member projecting into the body an secured thereto 

